Eddie Jones admits he ‘could feel the change in the wind’ before his sacking, insists he ‘wouldn’t do anything differently’ and reveals ’40’ players messaged him following his dismissal… before claiming he will do ‘one more job’ before retiring
- Former England coach Eddie Jones has admitted to being ‘sad’ about his sacking
- He was sacked on December 6 after a poor run of five wins from the last 12 Tests
- At least 40 players from the squad messaged him after is seven-year reign ended
- He is ready to get back on the horse and complete one more job before retiring
Eddie Jones has admitted to being ‘sad’ about his sacking, but said he wouldn’t change a thing if he was given the opportunity to coach England again.
Jones was sacked as England’s head coach on December 6 after a dismal run of five wins from the last 12 Tests, ending his seven-year reign as their boss.
The 62-year-old, who was devastated about being fired, received ‘at least 40’ messages from the players within the squad thanking him for his contribution.
Former England coach Eddie Jones (above) has admitted to being ‘sad’ about his sacking
Jones described the England team as a ‘great bunch of boys’, before admitting he is ready to take on ‘one more job’ before retiring.
Jones took part in his first UK interview since his sacking on Wednesday morning. He spoke to BBC Radio 4 about the days running up to his dismissal and his goals for the future.
The former England boss said: ‘I could feel the change in the wind. You know, when you’ve been coaching for a while you feel when your support is starting to wane.’
Jones was sacked on December 6 after England’s dismal run of five wins from the last 12 Tests
But, Jones wouldn’t change a thing if he was given the opportunity to coach England again
The 62-year-old went on to say he ‘felt it was coming’ when asked if he was surprised about the board’s decision to sack him on December 6.
Nevertheless, Jones said he wouldn’t change anything if he was given the opportunity to coach England again.
He told BBC Radio 4: ‘I wouldn’t do anything differently. I was quite confident that we were on the right track, leading up to the World Cup. And I still have that belief. But if others don’t share that, then that’s their decision.’
Jones went on to defend his decision to prioritise next year’s rugby union World Cup as he believes it is the ‘ultimate trophy’.
He said: ‘The World Cup is the ultimate trophy. If you look at the football, for instance, the only team people are going to remember over the last four years is Argentina now.’
Jones received ‘at least 40’ messages from the players within the squad thanking him
Jones finished the interview by revealing how he had received ‘at least 40 texts’ from England players who were thanking him and wishing him well in his next adventure.
Nevertheless, Jones did admit to feeling ‘sad’ when he talks about his sacking. The 62-year-old said: ‘It makes me feel a bit sad now talking about it because they have a great bunch of boys.’
That being said, Jones is ready to get back on the horse. He said he would do ‘one more job’ and confirmed he had spoken with several other national rugby federations.
He added: ‘It’s not about coaching an England rival, it’s about I want to add to the game. I love the game, I love coaching.’